Flexible pocket receptacle



Aug. 1, 1944."

l D. J. BROUGHTON FLEXIBLE POCKET RECEPTACLE INVENTOR Joya/w 13/?01/6/770! BY Filed Aug. 3, 1942 v LI- ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 1, 1944 FLEXIBLE POCKET RECEPTACLE Douglas J. Broughton, Springfield, Mass, assignor to Buxton, Incorporated, Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 3, 1942, Serial No. 453,343

1 Claim.

tails of construction and in the preferred arrangement of the parts will be made apparent in the following specification and claim.

While the invention is applicable to general purpose key cases it has special application to relatively small cases intended for automobile use in which space is provided for a limited number of keys such as the ignition key, the luggage compartment key and two garage keys. For purpose of illustration such as specialized auto key case is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the closed case;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the case as shown in Fig.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the case opened to give access to the keys;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3 but with the case further opened to give access to the license and registration papers;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View showing in exaggerated form the permitted movement of certain of the parts under conditions of use;

Fig. 7 is a detail View on a larger scale showing one of the hinge members, taken substantially on line of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a modified form on a smaller scale.

Referring to the drawing, l0 designates the case generally which is formed of flexible material, preferably leather. The case includes a rectangular back member indicated at H to which closure flaps I2 and I3 are hinged, one at each side of the back member. Preferably flaps l2 and I3 are integral with the back member and the hinge action of the flaps is secured by lines of fold as indicated at M and I5.

A flap I6 is hinged to the upper edge of back member II and for reasons set forth flap I6 is preferably relatively short, that is not -more than half the vertical length of the back member ll. Flap I6 is also preferably integral with back member H and its hinged connection therewith is provided by folding as indicated at H. Flap It is provided adjacent the fold line I! with suitable means, generally indicated at l8, for supporting keys. The key supporting means may take any desired form, that shown"bein'g' more fully disclosed in the patent to Boden 2,114,172, issued April 12, 1938. Preferably the key Supporting means includes a rigid member extending transversely of the case, such means being provided, in the key supporting means shown, bythe metal cylinder I9 to which thein dividual key retaining members 20 are attached.

A solid leather flap 2| is hinged'to the bot"- tom edge of back member Flap 2| may be hinged to the member II in 'any'suitable-w'ay but preferably as shown it is connected to the back member by an extension 22 of flap 2| which is folded on itself as at 23. The extension 22 is stitched adjacent its folded edge to the lower edge portion of back member II as indicated at 23', leaving a free edge portion 24 overlying the body of the flap. Portion 24 overlaps and is cemented or otherwise secured to'the edgeportion of a transparent panel 25 which is substantially coextensive with fiap2l, the opposite end of panel 25 being suitably secured to the under side of a short folded-over extension 26 at the free end of fiap 2|. The space between flap 2| and panel 25 provides a compartment 2l'to accommodate license or registration papers, visible through the transparent panel 25. Compart ment 21 is open at both side edges and preferably I increase the paper carrying capacity by hinging two additional compartments 28 and; 29 one to each side edge of flap 2|. These additional compartments are formed of inner andojuter walls 30, 3| and 32, 33 respectively, which' are preferably formed of transparent material. Walls 30 and 3| are secured together along their top, bottom, and outer side edges by bindings 35 and wall 30 is hinged at its inner edge, a side edge of flap 2|, by a side extension 36 of the flap to whichextension wall 30 is cemented or otherwise secured. Compartment 28 is thus provided with an open side adjacent to and in line with an open side of compartment 21 when 7 wall 30 is positioned in the plane of 'flap-'j2|-. Walls 32 and 33 are secured together at their top and bottom edges only, as by binding 31, and wall 32 is hingedto the other side edge of flap 2| by a side extension 38 of the flap to which extension wall 32 is cemented or otherwisesecured. When compartments 21, 28, and 29 are unfolded to lie in a common plane, as shown in Fig. 4, license or registration papers inunfolde'd or only partially folded condition ma be inserted in the compartments 21, 28' and 29 through the opening at the free side edg'e of the latter. Compartments 28 and 29 are foldable in superposed relation on flap 2| and flap 2| is then folded onto back member II to position the compartments 21, 28 and 29 between back When elements 40 and 4| are engaged the license and registra-- i tion compartments are held securely concealed and protected as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Flap 2| and its associated parts serve as a transverse stiffening reenforcement for the case. The advantages of a reenforcement against sidewise collapse of the case is well recognized and for best results such reenforcement has been hinged at the top of the case with its lowerend free .as shown, for example, in the prior .Buxton Patent 1,443,937 issued January 30, 1923. The freedom'of movement allowed the reenforcement by itsconnection to the case at the upper end only has-a substantial advantage in permitting the case to adjust itself to the key load, and permit needed relative movement ofthe parts, sothat the. key case forms a flexible package rather than a stiff rigid box when carried in'the pocket of the user. I have found that the reenforcing membenin the present instance the flap -2| and its associated parts, may be secured against swinging movement outwardly of the case and yet be afforded sufficient freedom of sidewise movement for satisfactory operation by a proper arrangement of the fastener means, and this preferred arrangement is shown in Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawing. The preferred arrangement employs a fastener which permits relative pivotal movement of flaps I6 and 2| in the plane of their fastening about the fastener as a center,

accompanied by a sidewise movement of the fastener.

The conventional post and. socket snap. fastener affords the desired pivotal movement. above the transverse center of the case and above the line defined by the lower ends of key retaining members 20. The characterof the movement obtained is indicated, in exaggerateddegree, in Fig. 6 where the respective extreme posi- The relative pivotal movement of the flaps causes a distortion of the hinges and the degree of side- Wisemovement may therefore be controlled and limited by the flexibility of the hinge connections are shown in heavy and light lines.

tions of flaps l6 and 2| to the back member The greater distance between fastening lg-4| and the hinge of flap 2| as compared with the relatively short distance between fastening 4|l4| and the hinge of flap I6 makes it desirable to employ the stiffer hinge construction for flap 2| afforded by the stitched folded extension 22 as previously described.

A somewhat less desirable arrangement .is

shown 'in'Fig. 8 where the flap I6 is shown lengthened as at l6a to position fastener Aftll in subsantially the same relative position to the Preferably thesnap fastener is placed of the case.

bulkiest part of the assembly of keys and the line of greatest bulk therefore occurs slightly below the lower ends of the key retaining members; and in practice lies substantially along the transverse center line of the case. The offsetting of the fasteners 4| from this line makes 'it possible to utilize the flap closure arrangement shown in Buxton Patent 1,966,429, issued July 17, 1934, which provides secure closing of the upper end of the case and keeps the keys in orderly position in the case. The arrange- -ment of fastener 404| as in Figs. 1 to 6 increases the security of the closure. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the closure flaps l2 and I3 are provided with snap fastener elements and 46 which are positioned to engage at a point offset transversely from the point of engagement of fastener 40-41. Fastener 45-46 permits relative pivotal movement of flaps l2 and I3 in the plane of connection and at a point above the main bulk ofv the keys. Both fasteners All-4|, and 45-46 being above the line of the greatest bulk of the keys tend to keep the keys from upward movement and the upper portion of the case is drawn across fastener id-4| by fastener 4546 to more effectively take up any slack between the rigid cylinder l9 and the bulk of the key heads adjacent the lower ends of key retaining members 29. Placing the fastener 404| below the line of greatest bulk as in Fig. 8, secures substantially all the advantages mentioned above except that in the lower position it doesnot share in securing a tight closure of the case and in keeping the keys in position in the closed case.

While for best results both fasteners are offset from the transverse center line of the case, as shown, if either one is so positioned between the rigid member l9 and the line of the key heads, it will afford a reasonably satisfactory preventive of upward movement of the keys in the closed case.

What I claim is:

A flexible pocket receptacle for keys and registration papers and the like, comprising a case forming member including a rectangular back member and closure flaps hinged to the side edges thereof, a flap hinged to the upper edge of the back member and folded thereon,a key retaining member carried by the last named flap adjacent its hinge, a flap, for reenforcing the case against sidewise collapse, hinged to the bottom edge of the back member, said reenforcin flap folded beneath the key-carrying flap and extending upwardly to a line adjacent the hinge of the latter flap, a paper-carrying pocket carried by the reenforcing flap and available when the reenforcing flap is swung downwardly from beneath the key-carrying flap leaving the latter within the confines of the case, and fastening means for releasably connecting the key-carrying and reenforcing flaps together when both said flaps are folded into the case, said key-carrying flap being shorter than the reenforcing flap, said fastening means connecting said flaps at a point above the centerline of the case and permitting a limited sidewise movement of the reenforcing flap and short key-supporting flap relative to each other and to the backmember DOUGLAS J. BROUGHTON. 

